Dawa1d ago
Liam Proven

Your phone is about to stop being yours.

https://keepandroidopen.org/en/

125 days until lockdown

Starting September 2026, a silent update, nonconsensually pushed by Google, will block every Android app whose developer hasn't registered with Google, signed their contract, paid up, and handed over government ID.

Every app and every device, worldwide, with no opt-out.

Keep Android Open

Your phone is about to stop being yours. In September 2026, Google will block every Android app whose developer hasn't registered with them.

Apr 29 at 2:59pmWeb
Show threadgbsillsApr 29
@lproven Damn it all! I switching to Apple... er, no wait...
Show threadaproitzApr 29

@gbsills @lproven

Okay ! You wanted to say:
#Switching to #Linux... ๐Ÿคฃ

Show threadMike Apr 29
@antonproitzelhaimer @gbsills @lproven if I could get my linux phone to pair with my car to give me maps and music.. i'd be there in a heartbeat
Show threadInky says "What the hell?!"Apr 29
@codemonkeymike @antonproitzelhaimer @gbsills @lproven There are Linux phones?
Show threadgbsillsApr 29
@InkySchwartz @codemonkeymike @antonproitzelhaimer @lproven Very Dangerous. You go first Indy.
Show threadKristoffer LawsonApr 29

@InkySchwartz @codemonkeymike @antonproitzelhaimer @gbsills @lproven probably worth checking out Jolla.

CarPlay and equivalent is tricky though as the protocols are completely closed and proprietary. Something that really ought to be put a stop to.

Show threadMike Apr 29
@Setok @InkySchwartz @antonproitzelhaimer @gbsills @lproven agreed. Makes me wanna make a mini computer in my car that just pairs to my phone for internet.
Show threadaproitzApr 30

@InkySchwartz @codemonkeymike @gbsills @lproven

Yes, there -are: e. g. : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairphone

Fairphone - Wikipedia

Show threadInky says "What the hell?!"May 1

@antonproitzelhaimer @codemonkeymike @gbsills @lproven Fair, but that's pretty expensive for most people.

We need well priced, reliable, and repairable tech. And the best I seem to be able to do is try to find a oneplus nord n100 and then mod it to run on an established linux/unix os. Which is very afforadable for me but requires me to operate beyond the bleeding edge of my ability. And is a 4 year old phone with a built in battery, no 5G, and an uncertain repair environment. Sigh.

Show threadJan VlugApr 29
@lproven Better switch to #MobileLinux.
Show threadrcostaApr 29
@janvlug @lproven Something along those lines๐Ÿ‘ We are not in 1999 anymore. If our smartphones are now so powerful as laptop computers why we still use them with training wheels OS versions? I want a smartphone with a full Linux OS and modular electronics that make possible to easily upgrade/repair it. I'm no computer/electronic expert, only tired of greedy people and waste of resources and pretty sure I'm not alone.
Show threadI am Jack's Found 404Apr 29

@lproven

Will Graphene still be an option?

Show threadTray   Apr 29

@float13 @lproven

I mean, I sure as fuck hope so, otherwise nobody will be able to reach me. I'm not going back to Android or Apple. Fuck that noise,
I'll be fine without a phone.

Show threadJoelBarrApr 29
@lproven good luck finding a carrier that supports something other than Apple or Android
Show threadKropotkinson (we are all ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ธ)Apr 29

@JoelBarr @lproven

you can have deGoogled Android, incl. eOS

Show threadCaptain Jack SparrowApr 30

@amici @JoelBarr @lproven

how?

Show threadLiam ProvenApr 29
@JoelBarr I don't know where in the world you are but where I am it is no problem at all.
Show threadJoelBarrApr 29
@lproven good to know. Chicago area.
Show threadLiam ProvenApr 29

@JoelBarr So, USA? No idea then. Last time I was in North America, smartphones hadn't been invented yet.

I live in the Isle of Man, work in the UK often, and before that in Czechia for a German company. I travel internationally a fair bit. My phones work everywhere, on all 3 of my providers, no problem.

Show threadMidgePhotoApr 29

@lproven mobile-service-optimised-webservers anyone?

I prefer running most things with apps on an alternative web-browser interface if they present one. Car is an exception.

Show threadloptaApr 29
@lproven It would be nice if (non-Android) Linux phones were an option.
Show threadOtterCynicalApr 29
@lopta @lproven they are
Show threadloptaApr 29
@ottercynical @lproven Perhaps it depends where you live. Are there certain makes and models to look for?
Show threadLiam ProvenApr 29

@lopta @ottercynical It's a little back-asswards, but at present, because most mobile Linux distributions only support a limited range of models, your best bet is to pick the distro you want, then look at its sorted model list. Work out and models whose features and performance you like, then see what they cost 2nd hand.

Google Pixels are expensive, even used. Some OnePlus models are fairly reasonable second hand, though.

Show threadloptaApr 29
@lproven @ottercynical I don't think OnePlus is a thing here. I've thought about buying a (non-Android) flip phone with hotspot support and tethering a tablet through that. Main Android apps I would miss are Organic Maps and my bus pass.
Show threadOtterCynicalApr 29
@lopta @lproven so... android with extra steps
Show threadloptaApr 29
@ottercynical @lproven Other tablet operating systems are available. ;-) I do something similar now with my "work phone", which isn't provisioned with mobile service.
Show threadTina HApr 30

@ottercynical @lopta @lproven WITH the apps one need?**

** When I say need, I'm talking about things like the Android apps that talk to the glucose monitoring system and similar.

Show threadOtterCynicalApr 30
@tina @lopta @lproven Nope.
Show threadTina HApr 30

@ottercynical @lopta @lproven Then, horrid as Google's ideas are, there are no alternatives.

We need to attack the root cause of this.

Show threadOtterCynicalApr 30
@tina @lopta @lproven Correct. Which is why we're fucked.
Show threadTina HMay 1

@ottercynical @lopta @lproven Oh, yes. The RCA of *this* goes much deeper.

(Who on earth even thought connecting a glucose monitor to an *American cloud-based app* was a good idea to start with? Let's see .... )

Show threadmillennial fulcrumApr 29
@lproven holy crap! fuck google
Show threadSpycrabApr 29

@lproven you can still download APKs just not from the Google Play store as I understand it.

So things like FDroid should still work or your favorite alternative SDK platform

Show threadaoeuidhtnsApr 29

@lproven @spycrab

the apks won't work unless you hand over your money and id to google

Show threadSpycrabApr 29
@aoeuidhtns @lproven o thought this only effected Google Play store (which means you will need an alternative way to actually run the APKs like FDroid or a few others) but there's nothing at the OS level to prevent the code from running
Show threadLiam ProvenApr 29
@spycrab @aoeuidhtns Nope. This is the OS's built in app-source control measures.
Show threadSpycrabApr 29
@lproven @aoeuidhtns huh. Wonder how long that will take to crack
Show threadLiam ProvenApr 29
@spycrab @aoeuidhtns Good question!
Show threadะะปะตะบัะตะน ะคะฐัะฝัMay 1
Spycrab, no you can't. Read the page carefully, it explicitly tells you that it won't work.
Show threadKnut ๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€๐ŸŒˆ ๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ด๐ŸงธApr 29
@lproven That depends. I've started doing Apple development, and at first it's like "why do you want $99"? But you get a lot for the $99 as a developer. They take care of all the regulatory crap and the taxes. By the time you pay an account to do all that, it pays for itself. They have business support. I've found its actually well worth it.
Show threadConsensus TullyalityApr 29
@praetor @lproven it's hardly useful if all you want is to make open source apps and deliver them via F-Droid
Show threadKnut ๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€๐ŸŒˆ ๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ด๐ŸงธApr 29
@tully @lproven that part is true.
Show threadConsensus TullyalityApr 29
@praetor hopefully now you understand why being entirely locked out of installing your own apps in this way is a bad thing and a massive overstep from google
Show threadKnut ๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€๐ŸŒˆ ๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ด๐ŸงธApr 29
@tully I think it depends on what youโ€™re after and how you do it. Iโ€™m ready to deploy a free, open source MacOS app. And you can still compile it and look at the code and have it. But not everyone can do that. So you can get it from the App Store for free with updates. It increases reputation and transparency. Which kinda fits into my hippy model of I want people to enjoy my apps, and find them useful enough to support me monetarily. And know I donโ€™t produce garbage.
Show threadConsensus TullyalityApr 29
@praetor k
Show threadFxizApr 29
@lproven does it mean if I build an app on .net and push the build on my phone, it will not work? Nah. That can't be true. Ohh wait a minute. I use a ~7 year old nokia phone. Only God can send an update on it now.
Show threadJon PENNYCOOKApr 29

@lproven I think more people should write to their MP about this. Most MPs won't understand the implications, but if they get enough emails and letters on the subject they will hopefully either look into it, or maybe forward them to someone centrally in the party.

From one point of view, it's a restraint on competition - Google control both the platform (Android) and the main app store, from which they earn commission from purchases.

Show threadJon PENNYCOOKApr 29
@lproven it could also result in someone not being able to use their apps if the US Government applies sanctions to them, then the US Play Store will be unavailable to them.
Show thread ister DonApr 29
@lproven I'm still waiting to hear if all of my existing apps are going to stop working. Even my launcher is FOSS and not in the Play Store.
Show threadBen CurthoysApr 29

@lproven we need effective anti-monopoly action from governments.

You can own an operating system or an app store, not both.

You can be a TV production company or a streaming platform, not both.

You can be an advert broker or a content provider, not both.

Forced unbundling now.

Show threadGregoryApr 29
@lproven (actually, people stopped owning phones when phone manufacturers figured out that they can put cryptographic keys into mask ROM on the SoC)
Show thread3Corns ๐ŸŒฐApr 29
@lproven thanks for the update looks like they are going to be like apple and worry about the money's guessing more.backdoors @lproven
Show threadTruckWomanApr 29
@lproven like, WHAT? Whoa! I'm thinking it might be time to ditch my smartphone, and just go to the laptop when I wanna get online ๐Ÿ˜ก
Show threadLiam ProvenApr 29
@2ruth I'm increasingly thinking much the same.
Show threadScotty TreesApr 29
@lproven all the android elitists for years saying android was the best, look at them now. always found it super weird to be in google's back pocket...
Show threadzetabetaApr 29

@scottytrees @lproven
short:
initial days i thought that android is open platform, somewhere 2012.

at approximately 2020, i got deeply sick of android world's control and closed components. i also learned that bootloader has some catches even when oem unlock is activated.

now i think that android stars to be lost cause.

Show threadJohn Honai  Apr 29
@zetabeta @scottytrees @lproven GrapheneOS and lineageOS is still open source.. Isn't it better to improve those than to switch to ios?
Show threadzetabetaApr 29

@covert_czar @scottytrees @lproven
basically yes.

my opinion:
ios was already lost cause by apple's control. google is creating something similar to apple.

for near term, maybe three years. android without google components is an alternate option.

but i think alphabet inc eventually completes android takeover.